Writing Insights: Is it better to send an agent a full manuscript or a query letter?
authorlink.com – Sunday October 2, 2022
Word of caution. Never send a full manuscript to a literary agent unless that person has asked you to specifically do so. First send a query letter, but there are a number of steps you’ll want to take before you query anybody.
Start with some serious research. Make a list of ten or twenty agents who seem to be a fit for your material. Then study up on each one. Does the target agent(s) handle subjects or categories similar to yours? Visit their website. What titles have they represented? Is your manuscript too similar to a book the agent just recently represented. If so, they probably won’t be interested in your work. Can you find out anything about what the agent likes or doesn’t like, professionally? Has that person done any articles you can read or given any speeches that might give you some clues.
New Magazine Listing: Hedgerow: A Journal of Small Poems
firstwriter.com – Friday September 30, 2022
A short-poetry journal dedicated to publishing an eclectic mix of new and established voices across the spectrum of the short poem, with particular attention to the constantly evolving forms of English-language haiku, senryu, tanka, haiga and haibun. Submissions of prose poems, other longer poems and sequences, as well as short stories also welcome. Please note—for consistency, the house style will inform both print and online presentation.
Free writing course for aspiring novelists
enfielddispatch.co.uk – Wednesday September 28, 2022
Indie Novella is launching a new writing course in October, alongside literary agency Watson Little (credit Deepesh Thobhani, Indie Novella)
Our North London-based publisher Indie Novella is launching a brand new form of writing course for new, aspiring and experienced writers.
What makes this writing course different to those currently out there can be summarised as follows: it is the only publisher and literary agent led writing course that is completely free and available to anyone.
Longrigg to retire from MBA Literary Agents after 25 years
thebookseller.com – Wednesday September 28, 2022
Laura Longrigg is retiring at the end of September 2022 after 25 years at MBA Literary Agents as an agent and director of the company.
Longrigg started her publishing career as assistant to Mic Cheetham at Abner Stein, before becoming an editor at HarperCollins, Hutchinson Heinemann and Penguin. In 1994 she joined Jennifer Kavanagh’s agency.
Since 1997 she has been a literary agent at MBA, where her clients have included Clare Morrall, Alex Dahl, Cathy Woodman and Rosanna Ley.
New Book Publisher Listing: Bass Clef Books
firstwriter.com – Wednesday September 28, 2022
A small, independent press based in the heartland of Kentucky, USA. Its mission is to promote contemporary works of writing that would be essential to the growth of creative language crafts from a broad aesthetic choir through a general submissions platform and a Sophomore Book Contest.
New Magazine Listing: The Fortnightly Review
firstwriter.com – Tuesday September 27, 2022
Online magazine publishing reviews, essays and reportage, fiction, and poetry.
So you want my arts job: Literary agent
artshub.co.uk – Monday September 26, 2022
Alex Adsett is a literary agent and publishing consultant with over 25 years’ experience working in the publishing and bookselling industry. She has managed Alex Adsett Literary since 2008, and as an agent or consultant has helped thousands of authors review and negotiate their publishing deals.
As an agent she represents more than 50 authors of all ages and genres, including Melissa Lucashenko, Peter Greste, Isobelle Carmody, and many more. As a consultant, she reviews and negotiates publishing contracts for authors without an agent.
New Publishing Imprint Listing: Schiffer Craft
firstwriter.com – Monday September 26, 2022
Publishes to help energize maker and craft communities worldwide. Dedicated to publishing high quality books and kits that inspire, instruct, and educate. Aims to enrich lives through craft.
Gemma Arrowsmith: My top tips on writing for the radio
comedy.co.uk – Friday September 23, 2022
I've been writing and script editing radio for quite a while now and it's a medium I really enjoy working in. Here are some thoughts and observations I've had about writing audio. I hope they might be useful to you as you write your next audio masterpiece.
Save Our Books campaign urges government to keep UK copyright exhaustion scheme
thebookseller.com – Friday September 23, 2022
The Publishers Association (PA) has written to the new secretaries of state for digital, culture, media and sport (DCMS) and business, energy and industrial strategy (BEIS) to urge them to continue with the UK’s current copyright exhaustion scheme.
The PA, alongside its Save Our Books campaign partners, including the Association of Authors’ Agents, Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society and Society of Authors, want the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to stick to the current regime when it makes a final decision in March 2023.
The IPO consulted on changes to the UK’s copyright exhaustion regime last year, including considering a move to an international exhaustion regime. The Save Our Books campaign fought to retain the UK’s current regime, arguing that the proposed changes “would cause a projected loss of up to £2.2bn to the publishing industry, disincentivise the UK’s thriving book exports, and flood the UK with international copies of books tailored to other international audiences, typically American”.
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